We are Listening to You!

Your international leadership and Society Headquarters staff are always seeking feedback from members.  Do you have something you want to say about your membership experience and how we could help make it better?  There are a variety of ways you can easily make your voice heard:

• The survey on the Homepage of the DKG Website is designed for quick feedback from members and changes every month.  So keep an eye out for topics that interest you and answer the poll.  You can also see what others are saying by clicking on "Results."
• The contact information for the members of the International Administrative Board is available under the "About Us" tab.  Email them with your thoughts and recommendations. 
• The contact information for Society Headquarters staff is available under the "Contact Us" tab. Email us with your concerns and recommendations.
• You will also find the phone number for Society Headquarters under the "Contact Us" tab.  Feel free to call us between 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. CST.  

So, log in, email us or give us a call - we want to hear from you!

Ready, Set, Initiate!

Have you made plans for your chapter to grow this year?  If you have not already considered using the new Membership Recruitment Plan, you might check it out!  Find an overview and sample documents under the Resources tab at www.dkg.org.

The plan preserves the integrity of the invitation to membership (honor) and the initiation ceremony (tradition), but allows for a more effective way to present the Society to prospective members.  By changing the order of the process, prospective members are oriented to the organization before being invited to join.  And the chapter has already approved the list of prospects, so initiation plans can be made easily and quickly.

And one really exciting part is that the plan also engages chapter members as mentors to the new members - a simple, effective and purposeful way to keep new members active in DKG for life. In fact, mentors can be a great way to engage transferred and reinstated members in chapter activities as well.

For assistance or more information, contact us at mem@dkg.org.

It IS what YOU make it.

 My late mother always said "you get out of something what you put into it." I believe she was right. I just expanded my exercise routine to add a little interest and step up the intensity.  I spent quite a bit of time researching the wide variety of programs available on CD, TV, DVD, at the Gym, in my home or even live streamed from somewhere else I may never go.  If I had spent this much time
exercising, I would be fit again by now!

However, I realized suddenly that the most important factor is ME! I am, quite simply, going to get out of any program about what I put into it.  It is not really as much about the program itself as it is about my commitment to it.

And so, I think, it is with DKG. Are you committed to the Purposes and mission of DKG?  Would you count the women in your chapter as professional peers and friends?  Do you want to impact education worldwide in a positive way?  Do you work alongside dedicated educators who care about the success of their students, whether young or adult?  Then, what are you waiting for?  Ask a fellow educator to join DKG.  Get engaged in whatever way suits you best.  Volunteer for the next project, step up to a leadership role, or  log in to the communities through the DKG website or APP and network globally.

DKG is what you make it - so make it count for you today!

Paying it Forward

I recently enjoyed a rare opportunity to return to my beginnings and say thank you.  My mentor and sponsor in DKG was installed last weekend as Tennessee State Organization President.  I surprised her at the convention and was thus given the opportunity to honor her and say thank you.  You see, she not only invited me to join this great association, but she continued to stand beside me and guide me along as I grew in DKG as a member, an educator, a women and a leader.

I almost did not go.  This is not a good time to take vacation - we are all busy preparing for regional conferences.  Money is tight right now for my family.  I could think of many reasons why I should stay in Austin. But my heart said go and I went. I am so very glad I did! What a wonderful privilege to have the opportunity to honor the woman who helped me become what I am today.

Do you have someone like that in your life?  If so, take the time to honor her or him.  But, for me now, the bigger question is:  for whom am I a mentor?  And to whom have I handed a rose at initiation and then never called again?  Reach forward to say thank you to the mentor who brought you to where you are and, then, return the kindness:
Reach back and bring someone else along.

Small Action: Big Effect

Every day I am reminded how little effort it really takes to impact the world around us.  I tend to think that to make an impact, I have to do something really big.  But, that simply is not true.  We have all pondered the idea that a simple smile and a kind word to a stranger can have a ripple effect beyond imagination.

Let’s apply that to marketing – and specifically, to marketing DKG.  We do not have to be a marketing expert to promote the Society we so appreciate!  Today I received an email (one of around 5 that I receive each week) from an educator interested in membership.  She wrote that she received a “kind note and a candy bar in [her] mailbox, welcoming new teachers to the district.”  While I am sure she felt welcomed, her deduction was that “Obviously the chapter is very active and I’m excited for the chance to join.”  This small act created an incredibly positive picture of DKG and the chapter. I do hope the chapter takes the chance (even if it is outside of the comfortable zone where we only invite women we know well) and invites her to join! Her initiative and ambition certainly show the potential of a key woman educator.

Speaking of taking a chance, a 70 year member recently told me a story about her reinstatement after losing track of DKG during the war years when she moved frequently with her husband who was a naval officer.  At that time, chapters were less open to the idea of reinstatement.  She read about the current initiative to reinstate members and, while recounting her membership experience since reinstatement in 1949, she wrote “I have been an active member ever since…I am thankful that the chapter was ahead of their time.”

So, you see, it may only be a small act in your view but the impact on someone else may be grand.  Take a small step out of the comfort zone and watch the ripples grow!

Membership Tips: More connections

Our early-career educators and many veteran educators are facing new challenges and greater demands.  Many are leaving the classroom after only a year or two. DKG members are reaching out to educators to support them and strengthen the profession.

If your chapter is looking for ways to support early-career educators, here are a few ideas that won't break the bank account:

• Call a new teacher and offer to help with a bulletin board for her classroom.
• Offer help with lesson plans and test writing. 
• Offer your phone number as his/her personal "survival" hotline.
• Volunteer at an elementary school to read to children or assist with classroom activities.  

These ideas can easily be used as chapter programs or as individual projects.  Adopt a school and provide support throughout the year.  Create a "Make and Take" program where teachers leave your meeting with bulletin board items or class activities.

You will support educators and they will remember DKG!

Membership Tip: Make Meaningful Connections

The simplest acts can mean so much.  Often, they don't even cost us much money.

Make a phone call today to reach out to someone who needs a little cheering up.  Or to tell someone you have missed seeing her lately.  Or to remind someone there will be a meeting or event next week.  Or to offer a ride.  Or to appreciate her hard work.

Connections that are meaningful and grow relationships take time and effort but have lasting impact-  and they don't have to break your bank account.

If you are looking for ways your chapter can make member connections, look for opportunities to simply reach out. Connect with members who have not paid dues to find out why before dropping them. I heard from a chapter president last week who personally called every member in her chapter.  Every one of them will renew membership this year.  The connection was made!

With whom have you connected today?

Reflections of a DKG Member

When I think of all the associations in which I have held memberships over the years, I continue to be amazed at the many ways my membership in DKG offers value.  I have often paid far higher dues for far less value and less engagement in other associations.  And not that I did not benefit.  I read the journals and utilized the websites for research. Sometimes I even attended a conference or convention.

Likewise in DKG, I have read the journals, utilized the website, and attended many conferences and conventions.  But I also have chatted in the Social Network (free from the stress of public viewing!), made lifetime friends in my own backyard and around the world, furthered my education with the aid of scholarship money, developed my public speaking skills, learned about leadership, and put it all into practice in a comfortable environment. And, of course, I could go on.

What have you gained from your membership in DKG?  What have you missed if you are not a member?  I encourage you to step out and become involved- you'll be glad you did. Comment here or send me an email: let me know what you value most as a member of DKG.

DKG: A Family of Friends

I have been reminded over and over again since the beginning of 2013 just how much support and encouragement I find within the DKG "family of friends." In January, my husband and I travelled back to Tennessee for business and I surprised my old chapter, TN Beta Sigma, at their annual "Christmas in January" gathering.  I was amazed that after a year and a half, I felt as if I had not been gone a day! I remember how these ladies supported me in so many ways during my move from Tennessee to Texas,  - from packing boxes to calling with encouraging words. Then when I arrived in Texas, I found support from DKG members here - some I did not even know - who helped me settle in and find my way around.

In February, I participated in the Texas State Organization Leadership Seminar.  Again, I met 30 amazing women who make a difference every day in their communities and schools.  What a difference they have made in my life and what a difference they will continue to make for years to come!  I hope to share what I have learned through new responsibilities in my chapter, TX Xi, and within the Texas State Organization as well.

I cannot imagine not being a member of this great organization - can you?  Let me know what you value most about your membership!